Gaurav Gill Kicks off the Otago Rally with a Strong Third-Place Finish on Day 1

Gaurav Gill, representing JK Tyre, secured the third position on the opening day of the Otago Rally in New Zealand. Finishing merely 30 seconds behind the leader, Jack Hawkeswood, and just 11 seconds behind the second-place holder Robbie Stokes, Gill and his co-driver Jared Hudson established themselves as strong contenders for a podium finish.

The renowned Haydon Paddon, a ten-time Otago Rally winner and the 2022 APRC champion, joined forces with Gill and Hudson, manoeuvring the Hyundai i20 N Rally2. Throughout the day, the drivers tackled eight distinct stages, each presenting its unique challenges. While Gill incurred a fifteen-second penalty due to an error on Stage 5, his stellar performance on stages 4, 7, and 8 underscored his remarkable speed and skill, reaffirming his status as an APRC champion.

About Otago Rally

Since its inception in 1976, the Otago Rally has established itself as one of the premier rally events worldwide. The Rally, renowned for its challenging blind curves, rugged dirt sections, and high-speed stretches on public roads, attracts a diverse array of competitors. 

With 130km remaining on Sunday's leg, following a gruelling 144km journey on Saturday, participants and spectators alike are filled with anticipation. Notably, Gill makes his inaugural appearance at the Otago Rally, despite achieving notable success at New Zealand's Rally of Whangarei, where he clinched victory thrice. Currently, Gill is driving a Hyundai i20 sporting a JK Tyre livery.

About Gaurav Gill

In 2013, Gaurav Gill won the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, followed by his victories in 2016 and 2018.  He was also the first Motorsports athlete to receive the Arjuna Award in 2019 for his remarkable achievements in the sport. Gill shares the record for the highest number of Indian National Rally Championship titles for four-wheelers with Naren Kumar. In 2018, he became the sole Indian driver to compete in a World Rally Championship round in Australia, despite participating as an unregistered driver in the WRC2 class.